U.S. patent number 7,753,224 [Application Number 11/513,327] was granted by the patent office on 2010-07-13 for cup lid with slide closure.
This patent grant is currently assigned to DOPACO, Inc.. Invention is credited to Liming Cai.
United States Patent |
7,753,224 |
Cai |
July 13, 2010 |
Cup lid with slide closure
Abstract
A cup lid having a top panel with an upwardly projecting rim
peripherally thereabout, a recessed channel in the top panel
extends from a central area thereof to the rim, the channel having
a bottom with a sipping opening defined therethrough adjacent the
rim, a closure member selectively receivable in said channel for
movement between open and closed positions relative to said
opening, the closure member being integrally formed with said lid,
or a companion cup, remote from said channel for selective severing
therefrom and subsequent mounting within the channel.
Inventors: |
Cai; Liming (West Chester,
PA) |
Assignee: |
DOPACO, Inc. (Exton,
PA)
|
Family
ID: |
39223826 |
Appl.
No.: |
11/513,327 |
Filed: |
August 31, 2006 |
Prior Publication Data
|
|
|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20080073342 A1 |
Mar 27, 2008 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/254.9;
220/212; 220/715; 220/345.1; 220/780 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
47/286 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
41/56 (20060101); B65D 41/16 (20060101); B65D
43/20 (20060101); B65D 51/00 (20060101); B65D
43/12 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;220/212,226,254.9,345.1-345.4,350,713,715,719,780
;D7/509,511,900 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Stashick; Anthony
Assistant Examiner: Wright; Madison L
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Dennison, Schultz &
MacDonald
Claims
The invention claimed is:
1. A cup lid comprising a top panel, a rim integral with and
peripherally about said panel, a channel in said top panel
extending from a central area thereon to said rim, said channel
having a bottom, an opening defined through said bottom adjacent
said rim, a recess in said top panel, said recess having a greater
width than said channel and extending from said channel at said
central area to said rim, said recess having a bottom coplanar with
said channel bottom, said recess bottom and said channel bottom
inclining slightly downward toward said opening in said channel
bottom, a closure member for said opening integrally formed with
said lid, a tear line defined between said closure member and said
lid for a severing of said closure member from said lid, said
channel including means for slidably receiving and retaining said
closure member, subsequent to a severing of said closure member
from said lid, for sliding movement in said channel between a
closed position wherein said closure member overlies and closes
said opening and an open position wherein said opening is exposed
for a sipping of a cup's contents therethrough.
2. The cup lid of claim 1 wherein said means for retaining said
closure member for sliding movement in said channel comprises a
pair of opposed guideways along opposed sides of said channel for
receiving opposed side edge portions of the severed closure
member.
3. The cup lid of claim 2 including a depending skirt peripherally
about said lid outward of said rim, said closure member, prior to
severing, being integrally formed with said skirt.
4. The cup lid of claim 3 wherein said closure member includes a
gripping surface thereon for facilitating manual sliding movement
of said closure member within said channel.
5. The cup lid of claim 4 wherein said closure member, adjacent a
leading end thereof, includes a projection conforming in shape and
size to said opening for engagement in and sealing of said opening
in said closed position of the channel received closure.
6. The cup lid of claim 1 wherein said closure member includes a
gripping surface defined thereon for facilitating manual sliding
movement of said closure member within said channel.
7. The cup lid of claim 6 wherein said closure member, adjacent a
leading end thereof, including a projection conforming in shape and
size to said opening for engagement in and sealing of said opening
in said closed position of the channel received closure.
8. A formed lid for a hot cup comprising a top panel, said top
panel having an outer periphery with means on said outer periphery
for a mounting of said lid to a cup, said top panel having a
channel defined therein and extending from a central area thereon
to a point adjacent the periphery of the top panel, said channel
having a bottom, an opening defined through said bottom adjacent
said periphery, a recess in said top panel, said recess having a
greater width than said channel and extending from said channel at
said central area to said rim, said recess having a bottom coplanar
with said channel bottom, said recess bottom and said channel
bottom inclining slightly downward toward said opening in said
channel bottom, a closure member for said opening integrally formed
with said lid remote from said channel, a severance line defined
between said closure member and said lid for a severing of said
closure member from said lid, said channel being of a size as to
slidably receive the severed closure member, said channel including
means for slidably retaining said closure member therein for
movement between a closed position overlying said opening and an
open position wherein said closure member is retracted from said
opening.
9. The cup lid of claim 8 wherein said means for a mounting of the
lid to a cup includes a depending peripheral skirt.
10. The cup lid of claim 9 wherein said closure member is
integrally formed with said skirt and extends laterally therefrom
prior to severing.
11. The cup lid of claim 10 including an upwardly projecting rim
defined peripherally about said top panel immediately inward of
said skirt.
12. The cup lid of claim 11 wherein said channel extends partially
into said rim and defines a narrowing of said rim to form a
drinking lip adjacent the opening in the bottom of the channel.
13. A closable drink container for receiving and selectively
discharging a liquid, said container comprising a lid component and
a cup component, said lid component comprising a top panel, having
an outer periphery, a channel defined in said top panel extending
from a central area thereon to a point adjacent said periphery,
said channel having a bottom, an opening defined through said
bottom adjacent said periphery, a recess in said top panel, said
recess having a greater width than said channel and extending from
said channel at said central area to said rim, said recess having a
bottom coplanar with said channel bottom, said recess bottom and
said channel bottom inclining slightly downward toward said opening
in said channel bottom, a closure member for said opening
integrally formed with one of said lid and cup components, a
severance line defined between said closure and the component with
which said closure component is integrally formed for a selective
severing of the closure member, said channel including means for
slidably receiving and retaining the severed closure member for
sliding movement in said channel between a closed position
overlying said opening and an open position withdrawn
therefrom.
14. The closable drink container of claim 13 wherein said closure
member is integral with and extends beyond a seam forming edge on
said cup component.
15. The closable drink container of claim 13 wherein said closure
member is integrally formed with said lid component remote from
said channel.
16. The closable drink container of claim 15 including means for a
mounting of the lid component to a cup component including a
depending peripheral skirt, said closure member being integrally
formed with said skirt and extending laterally therefrom prior to
severing.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention broadly relates to cup lids, and more
particularly to hot cup lids of the type normally including a
sipping hole or opening therethrough with means for selectively
closing and opening the sipping hole.
Such lids, while not limited thereto, are usually formed of an
appropriate thermoplastic or synthetic resinous material with the
closure for the sipping opening comprising a separately formed
slide member received within guides on the lid for sliding movement
between the desired open and closed positions.
The prior art discloses many examples of such sliding closures,
note for example Waterbury, U.S. Pat. No. 4,170,724, issued Oct. 9,
1979; Paramski, U.S. Pat. No. 5,938,062, issued Aug. 17, 1999; and
Wong, U.S. Pat. No. 6,824,003 B1, issued Nov. 30, 2004.
In the prior art, the lid and sliding closure are separately formed
or molded items which are necessarily also separately handled until
assembled in operative relation with each other at the point of
assembly. Thus, as a practical matter, whether at the manufacturer
of the individual components or at the distributor, care must be
taken to ensure that an equal number of lids and sliding closures
be provided for assembly as a complete item. In other words,
inventory control will necessarily involve not only an adequate
number of lids for the number of cups to be supplied but also an
adequate number of sliding closures for the number of lids.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Inasmuch as the lids and cups of the type with which the invention
is concerned are disposable, that is after a single use are
discarded, and as literally millions of such cups and lids are
produced annually and disposed of after a single use, any saving to
be obtained in the manufacture and distribution of such products
would be of a potentially great economic advantage.
Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide a
lid of the type including a slide closure which is both economical
to manufacture and distribute, and which is particularly practical
in both ease and manner of use. Pursuant thereto, and in accord
with the preferred embodiment, the lid of the invention and the
slide closure therefore are thermoformed or molded as a unit or
single piece with the panel-like slide closure separable from the
lid along a tear or severance line defined during the forming
process. Thus, there is no necessity for the supplying of a
separate closure member. Rather, each lid, as it is formed and
supplied, is provided with its own closure member for use as
desired by the consumer.
As a secondary embodiment, an assembly comprising a lid member and
a cup member can provide for the sliding closure member as an
extension integrally formed with the cup rather than with the lid.
Such an extension, formed of the same material as the cup, will
extend from one of the vertical seam edges of the cup with an
appropriate break or tear line allowing for separation of the tab
for use as the closure member on the associate lid. Inasmuch as the
cup and lid will be presented to the consumer as a unit, the
provision of the closure member on the cup would be a practical
alternative to the formation of the closure member on the lid
itself as in the primary embodiment. In each instance, the lid
itself will be of the same basic construction capable of
accommodating either form of closure member.
Further features, objects and advantages of the invention will
become apparent from the more detailed description of the invention
following hereinafter.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a lid and cup assembly illustrating
the sliding closure as an integral part of the lid;
FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 illustrating removal of the
closure member;
FIG. 3 illustrates the next sequential step of aligning the sliding
closure with the lid channel for insertion therein;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the lid with the closure in its
mounted open position;
FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 with the closure moved to its
closed position;
FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail taken substantially on
a plane passing along line 6-6 in FIG. 1;
FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail taken substantially on
a plane passing along line 7-7 in FIG. 4;
FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail taken substantially on
a plane passing along line 8-8 in FIG. 5;
FIG. 9 is a transverse cross-sectional detail taken substantially
on a plane passing alone line 9-9 in FIG. 5; and
FIG. 10 illustrates an embodiment wherein the sliding closure is
integrally formed with the cup, this figure also illustrating, in
phantom lines, an alignment of the cup-formed closure with the lid
channel.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The covered drink container 10 of the invention, noting FIG. 1 as
an example, comprises two components, a lid 12 and a cup 14. The
cup 14 is of a generally conventional construction, preferably
formed of an appropriate plastic-coated cardboard material with a
rolled or beaded upper edge to which the lid 12 will, through a
snap-lock action, releasably seal.
The lid 12 includes a top panel 16 surrounded by a raised flat-top
rim 18 thereabout. Noting the cross-sectional details of FIGS. 6-8
in particular, a peripheral outer wall 20 depends from the top of
the rim 18 at a slightly outwardly inclined angle and terminates
at, and integrally joins, a depending skirt 22 adapted to engage to
the beaded upper end of a cup. The skirt includes a downwardly
directed cavity 24 and an inwardly directed rib 26 which, in an
obvious manner, cooperates with the cavity 24 to retain and
releasably seal the lid to the container.
A recess 28 is provided in the top panel 16 and extends
transversely thereacross between aligned opposed sections of the
rim 18. The recess 28 includes a forward portion forming an
elongate channel 30 which extends for approximately one-half the
length of the recess 28 and terminates at the rim 18. The bottom of
the channel 30 at the rim has an opening 32, normally a sipping
opening, therethrough. As will be appreciated from the drawings, in
order to facilitate access to this sipping opening 32, the channel
30 will extend into the rim 18 for approximately one-half the width
of the rim, thereby providing a narrow drinking lip 34 immediately
above the opening 32.
The rear portion of the recess 28 that is relative to the opening
32 and channel 30, is substantially wider than the channel to
facilitate access to the channel as shall be explained
subsequently. The bottom of the recess, for the full length thereof
to the opening 32, is inclined downwardly, as noted in the
cross-sectional details, in order that the recess might accommodate
any spillage or accumulation of liquid on the lid and direct this
spillage into the cup through the opening 32.
The opposed side walls 38 of the channel 30, are progressively
higher as the rim end of the channel is approached. These side
walls, remote from the rim, each continue in an arc 40 as the
channel side walls 38 join the progressively lower height side
walls 42 of the wider portion of the recess 28.
Noting FIG. 1 and the detail of FIG. 9 in particular, the opposed
side walls 38 of the channel 30 include, slightly upwardly spaced
from the channel bottom, inwardly directed guide ribs 44 which can
be, as illustrated, narrow flanges integral with the side walls 38,
inwardly projecting concave ribs defined directly from the side
walls 38, or any other similar construction which cooperates with
the bottom of the channel 40 to define a retaining tracks or
guideways for slidably receiving a closure or closure member 46
mountable therein as shall be explained subsequently.
As desired, the lid 12 may be provided with depressible dimples 48
in the top panel 16 as a means for providing a visible indication
of the container contents.
Noting FIG. 1 in particular, the closure or closure member 46 is
formed or molded as an integral part of the lid 12 and extends
laterally outward from the lower edge of the lid skirt 22. The
closure 46 is severable from the lid, preferably by the customer,
by a slight flexing of the closure 46 along a severance or tear
line 50 provided during the forming of the lid. This breaking away
of the closure 46 and the positioning thereof will be noted in the
sequential views of FIGS. 2-5.
As illustrated, the closure 46 is basically a flat panel with a
central roughened gripping area 52 to facilitate sliding movement
of the closure 46, by a single finger, between an open position
exposing the sipping opening 32 and a closed position wherein the
opening is sealed by the closure member. The closure 46, for at
least a substantial or major portion 54 of the length thereof, is
of a width allowing for close guiding reception within the channel
30 of the lid with the opposed longitudinal edges of this portion
54 engaging within the guideways defined by the ribs 44 on the
opposed side walls 38 of the channel 30. This relationship will be
noted in the cross-sectional detail of FIG. 9. The rear portion 56
of the closure 46 is preferably transversely enlarged relative to
the channel receiving portion 54 and seats within the larger
portion of the recess 28. In this manner, the enlarged rear portion
56 will, upon engagement with the inner surface or wall of the rim
18, limit the retraction or opening sliding movement of the closure
46 and thus prevent accidental disengagement of the closure 46 from
the lid 12. This wider rear portion 56 also tends to limit any
sideward shifting, through engagement with the side walls 42 of the
recess 28, as might misalign or disengage the channel receiving
portion 54 relative to the channel 30. As will be appreciated, and
noting FIGS. 3 and 4 in particular, the closure 46, while
relatively stiff so as to appropriately slide within the channel 30
upon manipulation by a single finger of the user, has a sufficient
degree of flexibility as to allow for a slight flexing along the
length thereof as the leading or narrower portion 54 of the closure
46 is initially introduced into the channel 30 through the wider
rear portion of the recess 28. Once the closure is mounted,
accidental separation of the closure from the lid is substantially
precluded.
In order to enhance the sealing of the opening 32 upon a forward
sliding of the closure 46 over the opening, a slightly depressed
lug or projection 58, conforming in configuration to the opening
32, is provided toward the leading end of the forward portion 54 of
the closure 46. Noting FIG. 8, this projection 58 will, upon
alignment with the opening 32, engage within and provide an
effective sealing of the opening. Engaged in this manner, the
projection 58 will also act as a detent which will tend to prevent
an opening movement of the closure 46 within the channel in the
absence of positive finger pressure. Thus, the projection 58 also
acts as a safety feature preventing accidental opening of the
sipping opening and the discharge of what could be very hot
liquid.
Again noting FIG. 1, it will be seen that the closure or closure
member 46 is formed on the periphery of the lid at approximately
one-third the distance, or about a 120.degree. away from the
sipping opening 32. So positioned, and if the contents of the cup
are to be immediately consumed, the sipping opening 32 is freely
accessed without the necessity of removing the closure 46. In other
words, the closure 46, in light of its remote location relative to
the sipping opening 32 will not interfere with the direct access to
the cup contents through the opening 32.
Attention is now directed to FIG. 10 which illustrates a secondary
embodiment comprising a drink container consisting of an assembly
60 of a cup component 62 and a lid component 64 provided as a unit
as it would be presented to a customer upon a filling of the
cup.
The lid component 64 differs from the previously detailed lid 12
only in the absence of the integral closure 46. To illustrate the
similarities between lid 12 and lid component 64, the reference
numerals applied to the major parts of the lid 12 have also been
applied to these same parts appearing on the lid component 64.
As will be recognized from FIG. 10, the closure or closure member
66, which is to be slidably received and manipulated within the
channel 30 of the lid 64, is formed as an integral extension of the
outer edge 68 of the overlapping edge portions of the cup wall 70
which, in the manner of a conventional cup, are appropriately
sealed to provide the desired container configuration. An
appropriate severance or tear line 72 is provided separating the
integral closure member 66 from edge 68 to allow for removal of the
closure 66, as desired, from the cup wall edge 68. It will be
appreciated that this closure 66, contrary to the edge 68, will not
be secured to the underlying portion of the cup wall, and thus
freely movable for separation along the tear line 72.
Once removed from the edge 68, and noting the phantom line showing,
closure 66 is introduced into the lid channel 30 for use in the
manner previously described. Incidentally, as the closure 66 is to
be formed as an integral part of the container wall 70, the closure
66 will be of the same plastic coated cardboard material as the
liquid-proof cup itself. As such, the closure 66 will also provide
for a positive liquid barrier for the sipping opening 32 when
closed thereover. While not illustrated, the closure 66 can also be
provided with a slight dimple therein corresponding to the
projection 58 on the initially described closure 46. Also, as
illustrated, the closure 66 can be provided with a transverse fold
line 74 slightly inward from the rear edge 76 thereof to allow for
an upward angling of this rear portion to facilitate engagement
with the closure 66 for sliding movement thereof.
It will be recognized that as the cup and lid will always be
presented to the customer as a unit, the customer will always have
access to a closure for use, as desired, on the lid.
The foregoing is considered illustrative of the principles of the
invention. As modifications and variations may occur to those
skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the
exact construction and manner of use as shown and described.
Rather, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted
to as falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.
* * * * *